July 28, 2012
Pure Land Buddhism
I asked Christi to write a blog post on the experience that half the group had in Kyoto yesterday. Good stuff.
Buddhist Tea Ceremony
Yesterday was a full day of sightseeing in Kyoto. Groups had the opportunity to walk through the bamboo forest, visit a monkey temple, and do a little souvenir shopping.
One of the groups also stumbled upon a Buddhist tea ceremony at one of the temples in the area. After embracing our American roots with lunch at McDonald's (sometimes you just want a burger), we decided to go to a nearby temple hailed as the largest in Japan for "pure land" Buddhism, the most popular sect in Japan.
Arriving at the temple, we all observed the unique structure and architecture of the temple itself (interestingly, it's apparently the largest wooden building in the world). As we walked into the main hall we realized a tea ceremony was about to start and decided to stay and observe.
The students all watched interestedly and after leaving we all sat on the steps outside and talked for quite awhile about what we had witnessed. Among the comments made, the kids observed how sad it was that the people were paying homage to an inanimate statue; that there seemed to be no joy or life in the ceremony; and that even the decor of the temple felt dark and oppressive.
As we continued walking and talking, the kids then began to think through how it compared to their own faith. One of the particularly striking things that several kids commented on was how the Buddhists ring gongs to "wake" their gods. The kids talked about how cool it is that our God never slumbers or sleeps- no need to wake him up! We were reminded of the words to the song "Christ is Risen"- our God is not dead, he's alive, he's alive!
Students also talked about what might draw someone to Buddhism, particularly tradition or cultural influence. We talked about how the same thing happens in the Christian faith- people can go to church their whole life because "it's what we do" without ever making that faith their own. This led to some awesome discussions about what it looks like to really own your faith and build a relationship with God.
It may sound funny to say it, but that trip to a Buddhist temple was truly one of the many God-ordained moments of the trip. How awesome for our students (and leaders!) to be reminded that we serve a God who is alive and that there are people who desperately need to hear that message.
- Jon (for the rest of the team)
Buddhist Tea Ceremony
Yesterday was a full day of sightseeing in Kyoto. Groups had the opportunity to walk through the bamboo forest, visit a monkey temple, and do a little souvenir shopping.
One of the groups also stumbled upon a Buddhist tea ceremony at one of the temples in the area. After embracing our American roots with lunch at McDonald's (sometimes you just want a burger), we decided to go to a nearby temple hailed as the largest in Japan for "pure land" Buddhism, the most popular sect in Japan.
Arriving at the temple, we all observed the unique structure and architecture of the temple itself (interestingly, it's apparently the largest wooden building in the world). As we walked into the main hall we realized a tea ceremony was about to start and decided to stay and observe.
The students all watched interestedly and after leaving we all sat on the steps outside and talked for quite awhile about what we had witnessed. Among the comments made, the kids observed how sad it was that the people were paying homage to an inanimate statue; that there seemed to be no joy or life in the ceremony; and that even the decor of the temple felt dark and oppressive.
As we continued walking and talking, the kids then began to think through how it compared to their own faith. One of the particularly striking things that several kids commented on was how the Buddhists ring gongs to "wake" their gods. The kids talked about how cool it is that our God never slumbers or sleeps- no need to wake him up! We were reminded of the words to the song "Christ is Risen"- our God is not dead, he's alive, he's alive!
Students also talked about what might draw someone to Buddhism, particularly tradition or cultural influence. We talked about how the same thing happens in the Christian faith- people can go to church their whole life because "it's what we do" without ever making that faith their own. This led to some awesome discussions about what it looks like to really own your faith and build a relationship with God.
It may sound funny to say it, but that trip to a Buddhist temple was truly one of the many God-ordained moments of the trip. How awesome for our students (and leaders!) to be reminded that we serve a God who is alive and that there are people who desperately need to hear that message.
- Jon (for the rest of the team)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)